Local Funeral Homes Respond to COVID-19 Outbreak

“In response to the Covid-19 outbreak sweeping across the country, the staff of Hatmaker Funeral Home will be strictly adhering to guidelines given to us from the CDC (Center for Disease Control) and NFDA (National Funeral Directors Association). Our services will be limited to the immediate family only of those we serve to ensure the safety of our families, our staff, and our community. We are partnering with local funeral homes to do what we can to slow this pandemic and we will be back to normal once officials assure us it is safe to do so. These are difficult times and we need to come together and take the appropriate preventative measures by social distancing to keep our nation as healthy as possible. We hope the community and families we serve understand that this was not an easy decision, but we are doing our part to ensure the health of our community. If you have any questions regarding this, please feel free to call us at 865-426-2158. We will be happy to assist in any way.”

From Jones Mortuary LLC:

“Without question, the Coronavirus Pandemic is horrible and worrisome to everyone. We all can only pray that it is stopped as quickly as it started. At Jones Mortuary LLC we will be following the guidelines given to us by the CDC and the National Funeral Director’s Association. We will be limiting our services to immediate family only, to ensure the safety of our families we are serving, as well as our own and our staff. We hope that everyone understands that these decisions have been difficult to make and haven’t been made lightly, we believe that we all must do our part to combat this virus and put it behind us. Jones Mortuary will return back to normal as soon as we are told by the officials it is safe to do so. We would also like our communities to understand and know that all of our area mortuaries and funeral homes are coming together to ensure the health of all our families. We believe that this is indeed a time when our country as a whole should come together and do what is best for us all. These are difficult and uncertain times, to say the least, but together we can do our part. If you have any questions feel free to call the mortuary or funeral home of your choice and we all would be happy to assist you and answer any questions you might have. God Bless You All.”

From Evans Mortuary:

“We are continuously monitoring the situation facing our country currently and we are aware of the new recommendations stated by the CDC and state legislature. We will continue to operate under a normal schedule at this time. For further questions about services and procedures, feel free to contact us. Due to requests by some families, arrangements may NOT be made public as we move forward. We ask that you please respect anyone’s decision in this matter as well.”

From Davis Funeral Home:

“In times like these, we are grateful for the communities where we live, work and serve. When faced with a crisis, we come together, help one another and look out for our friends and neighbors. There is no place on earth we would rather be than right here, working alongside our friends and family to get through these trying times.”

“That being said, we would like to take this opportunity to reassure everyone that we will be here to serve our families with the same level of dignity and compassion that they have come to expect from us. Please be assured that, through the efforts of the Tennessee Funeral Directors Association as well as the National Funeral Directors Association, we are receiving constant updates from the CDC in regards to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus). If in the weeks to come, special arrangements must be made, either by request or by government mandate, we will do everything in our power to help ensure the health and safety of the public as well as the families we serve.”

From Kyker Funeral Homes:

“Kyker Funeral Homes remain committed to helping families honor the lives of their loved ones through meaningful services and gatherings while respecting the unique challenges brought on by COVID-19. Whenever possible, we will continue to enable families to participate in the rituals that are most important to them. During arrangement conferences, we will discuss with the family the recommendation of extending viewing/visitation hours to lessen the number of family and friends gathered at one time. According to the CDC, at this time, there is no known risk associated with being in the same room at a funeral or visitation service with the body of someone who died of confirmed or suspected COVID-19. Depending on a family’s preferences, their loved one can be safely embalmed. Families may choose either burial or cremation as usual or families may even want to consider a memorial service at a later date. We have implemented enhanced cleaning procedures for our funeral homes and are paying special attention to high-touch surfaces such as doors, countertops and restrooms. Additionally, our staff has been advised to practice “Social Distancing” and limit physical contact, such as handshakes with families and guests. If you have concerns about attending a visitation or a funeral, please consider leaving a message for the family in their loved one’s online tribute (obituary) on our website and/or call and we can sign the visitor’s register on your behalf. We appreciate your patience during these unusual times.“

If you would like further information in regards to the COVID-19 virus please click on the link to the CDC website: www.cdc.gov/covid19.